From the Back Cover
Realize productivity gains from network-driven communication, training, and assessment
What sets apart The Business Case for E-Learning?
- Unified approach to e-learning. Covering knowledge sharing, training, and assessment. E-learning components such as online testing and certifications are uniquely combined.
- Productivity. The cause for rather than a consequence of e-learning. The Business Case for E-Learning demonstrates cases and methods in e-learning to those seeking productivity advantages for their organizations and ecosystems.
- Focus on ecosystem. Those seeking productivity advantages across the entire supply chain or value chain of delivery can benefit from the presented perspective.
- Recommendations go beyond organizational gains to cover resellers and customers.
- Results and returns. See case studies and empirical evidence of the value and return on investment (ROI) that demonstrate the success of a cohesive e-learning program. Learn how Cisco Systems saved $142 million in one year using e-learning.
I have always truly believed that the Internet and education are the two great equalizers in life, and this book provides information about how to combine the two for productivity and profitability gains, based on real successes.
-John Chambers, President and CEO of Cisco Systems
The Business Case for E-Learning is the first book that demonstrates the productivity gains provided by Internet learning through a unique approach combining e-communication, e-training, and e-assessment. Beyond theory, The Business Case for E-Learning is based on practical experience in developing and deploying programs that bolster profitability. This book offers you practical recommendations for best practices and return on investment and provides lessons learned from real-world experiences.
The Business Case for E-Learning presents several case studies that range from the challenges of learning in Africa to the emergence of corporate knowledge-sharing communities. Case studies on Toyota, BearingPoint, Element K, and other e-learning leaders demonstrate how e-learning best practices can yield value for any organization. One case study quantifies how Cisco Systems in one year generated $16 in value for every dollar spent on an e-learning program.
Managers need to prove to companies that an e-learning program can result in demonstrable productivity gains. Through The Business Case for E-Learning, you learn to avoid unnecessary trial and error with e-learning and take advantage of the e-learning experience documented by authors Tom Kelly and Nader Nanjiani.
You can visit the companion website for The Business Case for E-Learning at www.cisco.com/go/book/elearning.
This volume is in the Network Business Series offered by Cisco Press. Books in this series provide IT executives, decision makers, and networking professionals with pertinent information about today's most important technologies and business strategies.
About the Author
Tom Kelly is vice president, Internet Learning Solutions Group at Cisco Systems, Inc., which is responsible for deploying training to the direct sales force, channel partners, and customers on Cisco products, systems, and solutions. In addition, his team manages the Cisco Career Certification Program for networking professionals. He is also responsible for driving and evangelizing Cisco best practices associated with e-learning technologies and the business impacts that result.
Joining Cisco in 1997, Tom launched the Cisco Career Certification Program in April 1998, resulting in the certification of more than 670,000 associate, professional, and expert level network engineers as of September 2004. In 1999, he established the Field E-Learning Connection, a specialized website that offered 90 percent of the training needed by the Cisco sales force and has over 20,000 employee subscribers, and the Partner E-Learning Connection for Cisco Reseller partners with more than 160,000 unique users. Other initiatives include the creation of the Cisco Media Network (live video to every desktop), cosponsoring the Cisco global video-on-demand implementation, the launch and delivery of Cisco Business Video Solution, the creation of learning games, and a focus on enabling remote collaboration systems.
Prior to joining Cisco, Tom was vice president of the Education Products Division at Oracle Corporation; prior to that, he had similar leadership and management roles at Sun Microsystems, NeXT Corporation, and Control Data Corporation over his 24 years in the education and training industry.
Nader Abbas Nanjiani is the marketing programs manager of the Internet Learning Solutions Group, Cisco Systems, Inc. He has worked in the area of e-learning for more than a decade. Nader currently manages the Career Certifications program for Cisco Systems. He has worked at Cisco for four years.
While at Cisco, Nader developed and launched Cisco Certifications Community-a knowledge sharing portal with lifelong learning tools for certified individuals. More than 50,000 certified individuals signed up to the site in its first year. The Community offers tools such as a monthly "Certifications Connect" Web TV show, online learning games, discussion forums, and recertification alerts for its members.
Before joining Cisco, Nader worked for NEC America where he was responsible for increasing the visibility and adoption of NEC's voice, video, and data products in the education market. While working for Hezel Associates prior to NEC, Nader managed consulting projects on e-learning for corporate, government, and educational clients such as Tulane University, the World Bank, University of Texas System, Houghton-Mifflin, and the U.S. Department of Education.
Nader has published numerous articles on e-learning and certifications. He's a frequent speaker on e-learning for Cisco at technology conferences and was also featured on CNBC-Asia in 2003.
Nader received an M.S. degree in television/radio from Syracuse University and an M.B.A. degree from Karachi University, Karachi, Pakistan.
